Operation Spring Cleaning

Ten people have been arrested in the New Orleans area on charges of fraudulently collecting unemployment payments.The Louisiana Workforce Commission says many of the cases involve people continuing to claim payments after starting a new job. The charges carry up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $3,000. The Workforce Commission and the State Attorney General say this week's arrests are the start of a statewide crackdown known as ``Operation Spring Cleaning.'' LWC Director Curt Eysink says claiming benefits that are not owed is nothing more than a way to steal from the system and the businesses that pay taxes to support it.